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“Tis my meat now, stinky!” chucked Kindol.
“Ye ass, you stink just as bad as the rest of the dwarfs in our mines!” grumbled Tindol.
Kindol sighed in relief, and handed his brother back his slab of meat. “I don’t stink as bad as ye do.” He said smiling. Tindol laughed and sat down
Kindol slowly walked over to a log next to his brother and drew a book from his back pocket. Kindol was a cleric, which is very rare for dwarfs. He studied his book of spells and braded his red beard as he read. Poor Kindol was bald, a poor mishaps with a spell in the past. Tindol loved to rub it in at times.
Tindol was a fighter, he loved to get in brawls with goblins, ogres, and even giants with his great axe Avenger. He was short and stubby like the rest of his people, long brown hair and a deep brown beard, which he never kept clean.
Tindol had battles scars, great cuts and marks along his arms and face. Kindol on the other hand was clean, hair trimmed, and always in nice clothes. Tindol could care less what he looks like. He figures why bother cleaning when you’ll just get dirty again!
Wildly, Tindol ate his meat, and Kindol slowly faded out in the soft cool breeze with a thud falling back.
Tindol leaped up and turned around. “Ye ok?” he asked with a slight bit of worry in his words. But Kindol was sound asleep. Tindol smiled and laid a blanket over his beloved older brother, and then bedded down himself.
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Fabeth walked across the Dwarven Valley on the path towards the Northern mines. Her side still ached, but her long soft brown hair blew in the wind, and it was ever so comforting.
It would take her at least another day to reach the mines, so she bedded down for the night along the river. Her mind was drifting farther and farther off into the clouds. The wound wasn’t doing so well, she needed to reach Kindol immediately. She just hoped it wouldn’t be to late.
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“Damn this is longer then I remember.” sputtered Quzerlem. He was about a good days walk away from the Northern mines. He had to dodge a goblin band moving south back to the Orc valley, that cost him a day.
He quickened his pace, in a rush to get to the river and refill his stock of water. He was so thirsty it was making him dizzy and very tired.
After another hour of nearly jogging, he approached the river near dusk and dove in head first. He didn’t even bothering to scout the area. He swam around playfully and drunk so much water he worried that he would be too full to swim back out.
Something wasn’t right tho, he could since a presence. Someone was watching him, or something.
“Show yourself” said Quzerlem in a firm tone. He softly wadded to the shore, searching the trees and bushes with his sharp eyes.
Crack, he herd a twig snap. As fast as the stick broke, Quzerlem had his dagger drawn. He glared over at the brush where he herd the noise. He got out of the water and walked slowly, dripping, towards the brush.
He peered over the bushes slowly as to not make a sound. As he finally saw what it was, he stood stunned and in shock. He had never seen anything so beautiful in his entire life. The long flowing brown hair, the soft pale skin, the fine figure of a woman to which was nearly perfect in everyway…
Thud, Quzerlem went crashing through the bushes. “Dammit!” he whispered under his breath.
Fabeth was quick to her feet, swords drawn. “Who are you, put away your weapon, show yourself!” she said firm and fierce.
“Please, I mean no harm my lady, there is no need to fight.” He said helplessly bowing down slipping the dagger back to his boot.
“What do you want?” Fabeth said, easing her voice.
Quzerlem drew back his hood and said as calmly as he could in the presence of such a beautiful woman. “I am Quzerlem Silentdagger, elven rogue, born in Kelvin, but live around the world in many places. I am on my way to the Northern Mines. I did not mean to stumble upon you. Forgive me my lady.” Said Quzerlem ending with a low bow.
“Nice to meet you.” She said easing her voice. “I am Fabeth Spiritdove, elven ranger, also born in Kelvin and also live around the world traveling endlessly.” She smiled noticing he couldn’t keep his eyes off of hers. Maybe this was someone she should get to know? She thought to herself. “Do you wish to stay for supper? I have caught a couple of fish.”
“I would be delighted to.” grinned Quzerlem nervously. Don’t screw this up, be calm, breath in and out Quzerlem thought to himself. He took off his cloak and laid it over a branch.
He set the fire and hooked up a hand made spilt. He placed the fish about the barbed crank and slowly rolled the fish over and over.
Fabeth was sitting against a tree, re-dressing her wounds, softly groaning in pain.
“What happen to you? You should travel in such condition so close to the orc valley.” Quzerlem said with much concern.
“Oh don’t worry about me, ill be fine. I just need to get to the dwarfs by morrow.” She said. She sounded very reassuring and Quzerlem accepted the answer and began to make his bed.
Very few words were exchanged that night. They ate their meals and drank their water. Fabeth was eager to sleep; she was in great pain and very tired from the long walk. Quzerlem on the other hand felt fine and was in no rush to end the day.
“Good night ma’am, I’m going to scout the area before I head off to bed.” Said Quzerlem as he gathered a few things before he walked the perimeter.
“Do be careful.” Fabeth said to him, smiling locking eyes with him. Oh how she loved to tease him. She could tell he was falling for her.
Quzerlem nearly melted at the gaze, but quickly shoved it off and walked into the woods. He couldn’t help by smile.
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Fabeth was the first one awake. It was barely dawn and she was packing her things. She put out the fire and covered the ashes with dirt. Water would cause to much smoke and give them away.
“Wake up sleepy head, we are wasting the best part of the day.” She said cheerfully.
“But, but…” Quzerlem stuttered.
“Lazy bum, lets be off.” She softly kicked him in the leg, smiling down at him.
They were becoming friends quicker then Quzerlem expected. But all elfs know they can trust each other. Never in history of the grand elfs has there ever been an evil one in any way. It just wasn’t there nature. They might make mistakes from time to time, but never on purpose. So trust became easy between the two. But trust was not the only thing the two had going.
Quzerlem awoke quickly and packed his stuff, eager to get on with the day with Fabeth. He watched her limp around camp and finish with her bedroll. He pulled his cloak tightly around him and walked over to her. “Ready ma’am?”
“Yep, lets be off shall we?” she said with a smile. They locked eyes again. Quzerlem nervously shook it off and walked ahead of her.
“It will take most of the rest of the day to reach the mines.” Said Quzerlem.
“I know, no worries. I’m quiet fond of this valley and expect no danger.”
“Neither do I, ma’am.”
As the sun set the two new friends arrived at the mines. The huge statue of a dwarven king stood at the main mine shaft. They both were inspected by the guards and entered the main hall. The sounds of pick axes could be herd echoing from every direction. They couldn’t tell which way they were coming from.
They two of them headed down the long stairs at the end of the hall for the main city. They upper hall at the entrance was a barrack for the soldiers that guard the openings. They hall was fit with thick iron armor and the main door over two feet think in a combination of ore and rock. The soldiers within normally smithed new weapons and armor while the other guards scouted the valley. There hadn’t been a battle here in years, but it was probable.
Right above the door you could see the ropes they held massive boulders up. If an enemy army was to break past the first lines of defense, the rocks could be dropped to block off the hall. Also above the main stairs down to the city were rocks as well. The levers were in the back of the hall in the barracks.
“My friend is this way ma’am, Ill meet you at the inn later I guess.” Said Quzerlem in a nerves tone.
“My friend is this way as well.” She said with a glowing smile.
They walked down the tunnel passing other dwarfs along the way. None of them were worried about the elfs, they never caused trouble in the past. Besides elfs were always welcome, they held the news of the outside world better then any human would.
As they approached Quzerlems friends house, Fabeth walked to the house next door. Apparently there friends were neighbors. They smiled at each other and knocked.
“What ye want!” yelled Tindol as he pulled the door open quickly. “Quzzy!” Tindol yelled. “Do come in, do come in! It has been to long since I have seen ye! How ye been?”
“Good old friend, just great.” He said. Just hearing the name Quzzy again sent warm chills down his back.
At the same time Quzerlem was talking to Tindol at his front door, Fabeth was talking to Kindol. From the sound of it those two were having the same reaction.
Quzerlem was here to just talk to his friend nothing more. But Fabeth needed medical help, badly. He didn’t know why or how. He hoped she would tell him that night at the inn.
This is where I left off
